Editing English grammar (section)

===Adjectives===
{{Main|English adjectives}}

English [[adjective]]s, as with other word classes, cannot in general be identified as such by their form,<ref name=carter-mccarthy-p308>{{Harvnb|Carter|McCarthy|2006|p=308}}</ref> although many of them are formed from nouns or other words by the addition of a suffix, such as ''-al'' (''habitual''), ''-ful'' (''blissful''), ''-ic'' (''atomic''), ''-ish'' (''impish'', ''youngish''), ''-ous'' (''hazardous''), etc.; or from other adjectives using a prefix: ''disloyal'', ''irredeemable'', ''unforeseen'', ''overtired''.

Adjectives may be used [[attributive adjective|attributively]], as part of a noun phrase (nearly always preceding the noun they modify; for exceptions see [[postpositive adjective]]), as in ''the big house'', or [[predicate adjective|predicatively]], as in ''the house is big''. Certain adjectives are restricted to one or other use; for example, ''drunken'' is attributive (''a drunken sailor''), while ''drunk'' is usually predicative (''the sailor was drunk'').

====Comparison====
Many adjectives have [[comparative]] and [[superlative]] forms in ''-er'' and ''-est'',<ref name=carter-mccarthy-p309>{{Harvnb|Carter|McCarthy|2006|p=309}}</ref> such as ''faster'' and ''fastest'' (from the positive form ''fast''). Spelling rules which maintain pronunciation apply to suffixing adjectives just as they do for similar treatment of [[English verbs#Past tense|regular past tense formation]]; these cover consonant doubling (as in ''bigger'' and ''biggest'', from ''big'') and the change of ''y'' to ''i'' after consonants (as in ''happier'' and ''happiest'', from ''happy'').

The adjectives ''good'' and ''bad'' have the irregular forms ''better, best'' and ''worse, worst''; also ''far'' becomes ''farther, farthest'' or ''further, furthest''. The adjective ''old'' (for which the regular ''older'' and ''oldest'' are usual) also has the irregular forms ''elder'' and ''eldest'', these generally being restricted to use in comparing [[sibling]]s and in certain independent uses. For the comparison of adverbs, see [[#Adverbs|Adverbs]] below.

Many adjectives, however, particularly those that are longer and less common, do not have inflected comparative and superlative forms. Instead, they can be qualified with ''more'' and ''most'', as in ''beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful'' (this construction is also sometimes used even for adjectives for which inflected forms do exist).

Certain adjectives are classed as [[ungradable adjective|ungradable]].<ref name="carter-mccarthy-p309"/> These represent properties that cannot be compared on a scale; they simply apply or do not, as with ''pregnant'', ''dead'', ''unique''. Consequently, comparative and superlative forms of such adjectives are not normally used, except in a figurative, humorous or imprecise context. Similarly, such adjectives are not normally qualified with modifiers of degree such as ''very'' and ''fairly'', although with some of them it is idiomatic to use adverbs such as ''completely''. Another type of adjective sometimes considered ungradable is those that represent an extreme degree of some property, such as ''delicious'' and ''terrified''.

====Phrases<span class="anchor" id="Adjective phrases"></span>====
An [[adjective phrase]] is a group of words that plays the role of an adjective in a sentence. It usually has a single adjective as its [[head (linguistics)|head]], to which [[modifier (linguistics)|modifier]]s and [[complement (linguistics)|complement]]s may be added.<ref name=carter-mccarthy-p310>{{Harvnb|Carter|McCarthy|2006|p=310}}</ref>

Adjectives can be modified by a preceding adverb or adverb phrase, as in ''very warm'', ''truly imposing'', ''more than a little excited''. Some can also be preceded by a noun or quantitative phrase, as in ''fat-free'', ''two-meter-long''.

Complements following the adjective may include:
* [[prepositional phrase]]s: ''proud of him'', ''angry at the screen'', ''keen on breeding toads'';
* [[infinitive]] phrases: ''anxious to solve the problem'', ''easy to pick up'';
* [[content clause]]s, i.e. ''that'' clauses and certain others: ''certain that he was right'', ''unsure where they are'';
* after comparatives, phrases or clauses with ''than'': ''better than you'', ''smaller than I had imagined''.

An adjective phrase may include both modifiers before the adjective and a complement after it, as in ''very difficult to put away''.

Adjective phrases containing complements after the adjective cannot normally be used as attributive adjectives ''before'' a noun. Sometimes they are used [[postpositive adjective|attributively after the noun]], as in ''a woman proud of being a midwife'' (where they may be converted into relative clauses: ''a woman who is proud of being a midwife''), but it is wrong to say *''a proud of being a midwife woman''. Exceptions include very brief and often established phrases such as ''easy-to-use''. (Certain complements can be moved to after the noun, leaving the adjective before the noun, as in ''a better man than you'', ''a hard nut to crack''.)

Certain attributive adjective phrases are formed from other parts of speech, without any adjective as their head, as in ''a two-bedroom house'', ''a no-jeans policy''.